In the End
by Cela Aerecura
Summary: SPOILERS! The war was won, Vayne was gone. Somehow it did not cheer Larsa up in the slightest. GabranthLarsa.


**In the End**

Larsa was trying to sit up, still hurt and exhausted after his brother had all but thrown him to the side of the area they were now fighting in. Recognizing Vayne and Gabranth's growls, he opened his eyes as quickly as he could, and turned to see the two standing in the middle of the floor. Vayne let out yet another growl and threw some sort of weapon at the Judge, ripping off a piece of his helmet.

"Even a stray has pride," Gabranth said, voice hoarse, turning his head so that his gaze was once again on the older Solidor. At this, Vayne attacked again, this time hurling the other man away from him; landing flat on his back.

The young lord was now almost on his feet, a panicked feeling rising in his chest as he watched Basch run towards his twin, sitting down beside him.

"Here I pay my dept," Larsa heard his Guardian say, before a roar from Vayne got his attention fixed back on his lord brother.

"Burn in Hell, Gabranth!" the now monstrous form of Vayne shouted. As the weapons started circling up in the air, the young boy ran in between his brother and Gabranth, holding the nethecite in his hand up in the air. The weapons stopped a short distance away from his hand, and then vanished.

Vaan used Vayne's shock to surprise the man, picking up one of Gabranth's weapons, now lying on the floor, and running towards Vayne.

After seeing his brother thrown over the edge of the plateau, and the others following Vaan after him, Larsa fell to his knees, exhausted both mentally and physically. Penelo, who had not run after Vayne, came towards him, putting her hands on his shoulders as a sort of reassuring and caring gesture.

"Basch, tell me," came Gabranth's voice from somewhere behind him. "He is a good master?" Basch nodded.

"Aye," he said, before slowly laying the Judge's head down on the ground and rising to finally go after Vayne as well. When he passed Penelo, she rose to follow him, leaving Larsa alone with his wounded Guardian.

Now with nothing to distract his thoughts with, Larsa felt his chest knotting painfully, and he rose slowly, walking over to sit on the floor beside Gabranth. Words did not come to him, so he simply moved his hand to softly stroke the man's cheek and jaw, holding his head up from the cold stone floor.

Gabranth opened his eyes slightly at the contact, but did nothing to either encourage or discourage the young lord.

"Gabranth," Larsa whispered the name as his mind still refused to come up with anything to say.

"Yes, my… lord," the Judge said, his words seeming to have a difficulty coming out, but Larsa said nothing more, not wanting to make his Judge Guardian hurt even more with having to speak. Instead he bowed his head and laid it softly on Gabranth's breastplate. The metal was cold against his cheek, but the young lord did not care about such a trivial detail. All he wanted was for Gabranth to live; to be there with him, just like he had been there for what seemed like forever.

A tear trickled down his cheek and nose, but before he could move his hand to dry it away, Larsa could feel a gloved hand weakly trying to tug at his arm. The boy lifted his head and looked at Gabranth's pained features, at the same time taking the man's bigger hand in his smaller ones.

"I do not wish… to leave you," the older man whispered, although they both knew he really was saying he had to leave. Tears started rolling down Larsa's cheeks again, and he let go of Gabranth's hand to instead place them lightly on each side of the man's face.

"Then do not leave," the boy said, bowing his head down again to place a soft kiss on Gabranth's forehead. He was scared; so scared he could do nothing but hold on to this person he cared so much for.

"Please, Gabranth."

"I am sorry, lord Larsa," was all the Judge could say, even as his lord lowered his head again to press another kiss, now to the man's cheek. Gabranth could not die; not when he had gone through Vayne's hatred to save Larsa. He hadn't even thanked him for it. How the Judge Magister had come to his lord's aid even after he had been beaten by Basch and his friends. Even after Vayne had showed how much stronger he was, Gabranth had continued to fight.

A teardrop landed on Gabranth's cheek, as Larsa had not moved. He was holding the man's head still in his hands, only moving his head and lips slightly to leave butterfly-kisses all over his Guardian's face; trying to kiss the pain away. Maybe if he just held on long enough, Gabranth would not leave him; would not let him alone with all those painful feelings inside.

"Lo… Larsa," Gabranth voiced his lord's name in a tender, yet firm tone, but the boy did not want to listen. He wanted Gabranth to be quiet, so that he did not have to hear how much pain it was for the man to speak; he wanted to hold him and kiss him until he was well. But deep inside Larsa knew this would not come true. Gabranth had to leave him.

"It is all right, Gabranth. I will let you go. I will become the emperor everyone wishes me to be, but I ask of you just to stay with you now, for you will not leave me yet," Larsa said, caressing his guardian's head with gloved fingers; stroking his hair and pressing his lips softly against Gabranth's.

Only moments after pulling away, Larsa could hear a cry from outside, followed by the sound of something crashing into the walls. He sat up, still looking at Gabranth; then turned his head in the direction the others had run earlier when the sounds suddenly faded away.

The war was won; Vayne was gone. Somehow it did not cheer Larsa up in the slightest.


End file.
